In 1806, Beethoven finished writing his third of four overtures to his only opera, Leonore (later known as Fidelio). The opera tells the story of Leonore, a noblewoman, whose husband, Florestan, is being held as a political prisoner. Leonore disguises herself as a boy named Fidelio in order to rescue Florestan. (To read a full synopsis of the opera, click here).
Leonore with the third overture was only performed twice in the spring of 1806 before Beethoven withdrew it. The final version of the opera (and the one that is performed today) was not presented until 1814 and included the fourth Overture, several revisions to the music and libretto, and a new title – Fidelio.
Ultimately, Overture No. 3 was rejected because it was considered to be overwritten and too grand to serve as an opera overture. Today, however, it is the most popular of the four, is frequently programmed as a concert piece, and excerpts from it are called for on nearly every professional flute audition.
Three excerpts are often requested – the opening section, a section of whole notes from measures 279-315, and the flute solo from measures 328-360. This blog will focus on arguably the most famous of the three – the flute solo.
Performance Considerations
Begin the solo with presence (as the flute must be heard over the strings), but remember that the F# is the downbeat, not the D. Oftentimes, flutists end up accenting the low D and E in order to get them to speak. Some flutists recommend slapping these notes to aid in their production – personally, I think slapping is alright as long as the noise of the slap doesn’t distract from the music. I also recommend practicing slurring these first two notes (remember to use warm air!) to ensure the F# is the clear downbeat.
The articulation throughout the solo should be short and resonant. A few tips regarding the articulation:
- There are no accents in this entire solo, yet the first high E is often played as though it is accented. Avoid this! Rather, continue the phrase through to the D in measure 333.
- Problems with articulation are often not related to the tongue, but the air. If you’re experiencing uneven or sloppy articulation, check your air and make sure it’s spinning. Are you using enough of it? Are you maintaining the energy of the air throughout the phrase?
- Keep the tongue super far forward in the mouth (especially for the high register staccato sections).
As with every orchestral excerpt, it’s important to keep a strict tempo throughout the solo. In the solo from Leonore No. 3, it’s especially important through the quarter note triplets, as the bassoon has underlying quarter notes and the strings eighth notes.
There are a lot of practice methods utilizing the metronome to help you work on keeping a super steady tempo. In addition to simply practicing with a metronome on the quarter note, try practicing with the metronome on the half note (so that it beats twice each measure) and make sure your beat 3 lines up with the metronome’s click. Once successful, have the metronome click only once per measure, again practicing to ensure that beat 1 of each measure lines up with the met. Afterwards, try having the metronome clicking once every two measures. The fewer and farther metronome clicks you have, the harder it becomes – but it is such a great practice tool to use when working on keeping a steady tempo!
There are a handful of repeated pitches in this solo, such as the D’s in measures 332-333, the B’s in 334-335, and the F#’s in 338. In addition to ensuring there is a clear separation between these notes so that they will be heard in a resonant hall, also make sure that the intonation between them matches.
My last notes for you on the flute solo from Leonore No. 3 are in regards to the very last note – the one that often feels like the world’s longest D! Two ideas on how to conserve your air so that the D is held for the appropriate amount of time (hopefully without you feeling like you’ll pass out at the end!):
- You don’t need to use vibrato on this note – not only do the strings have the melody, but the flute is also joined by the clarinet, both bassoons, and a horn. Since this D is an accompaniment and for the sake of blending with the other instruments, which are also accompanimental voices, no vibrato is necessary.
- There is an alternate fingering for this D that requires less air than the normal fingering for D. Add the G# key and your right-hand index finger to the regular D fingering. One caveat – this alternate fingering will slightly raise the pitch, and you’ll have to accommodate for the intonation.
If you’d like to take an even deeper dive into the excerpts from Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 3, I highly recommend checking out Mark Sparks’ Excerpt Practice Book Vol. 3, which is a 110 page PDF handbook solely on this piece that includes extensive exercises, practice passages, performance advice, and more. If you have any other tips or tricks you’ve found helpful when working on the flute solo from Leonore Overture No. 3, I’d love to hear them in the comments! Happy practicing!
